Aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725190-B2
Application number	US-201514621680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A method for assembling an aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip includes automatically positioning, with a controller an automated workstation in two degrees of freedom to position an articulated assembly fixture docking station in at least two predetermined joining positions, and effecting, with the controller, an ordered assembly of at least a forward bulkhead joint, a forward bulkhead to lipskin joint, a chord member to lipskin joint, an inner barrel to lipskin joint, an aft bulkhead to lipskin joint and an outer barrel to lipskin joint through an interface between an automated assembly tool and at least one of a plurality of assembly fixtures interchangeably mounted on the docking station, where each assembly fixture corresponds to an assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip and at least one of the assembly fixtures is common to more than one assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assembling an aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip having a lipskin, a forward bulkhead, an outer barrel, an inner barrel, an aft attachment ring, one or more chord members, an aft bulkhead and an inner angle member, the method comprising:
with a controller of an automated workstation, automatically positioning an articulated assembly fixture docking station of the automated workstation in at least two predetermined joining positions, where the articulated docking station is positioned in two degrees of freedom; and
effecting, with the controller, an ordered assembly of at least a forward bulkhead joint, a forward bulkhead to lipskin joint, a chord member to lipskin joint, an inner barrel to lipskin joint, an aft bulkhead to lipskin joint and an outer barrel to lipskin joint through an interface between an automated assembly tool and at least one of a plurality of assembly fixtures interchangeably mounted on the articulated assembly fixture docking station in the at least two predetermined joining positions, wherein each of the assembly fixtures corresponds to an assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip and at least one of the assembly fixtures is a common fixture that is common to more than one assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of assembly fixtures includes a forward bulkhead assembly tool, the method further comprising measuring at least one dimension of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip with mechanical gauging tools and transferring the at least one dimension to the forward bulkhead assembly tool.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein assembly of each joint includes at least automatically installing fasteners between one portion of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip and at least another portion of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one of the joints with an end effector of the automated assembly tool that interfaces with the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip in opposing directions along a common axis such that the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip is supported by the end effector while forming the at least one of the joints with the end effector.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered assembly includes an assembly order of forming the forward bulkhead joint, forming the forward bulkhead to lipskin joint, forming the chord member to lipskin joint, forming the inner barrel to lipskin joint, forming the aft bulkhead to lipskin joint and forming the outer barrel to lipskin joint.

6. An aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus for assembling an aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip having a lipskin, a forward bulkhead, an outer barrel, an inner barrel, an aft attachment ring, one or more chord members, an aft bulkhead and an inner angle member, the aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus comprising:
a plurality of assembly fixtures configured to hold one or more respective portions of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip, at least one of the plurality of fixtures being a common fixture that is common to more than one assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip;
an automated workstation having an articulated assembly fixture docking station and an automated assembly tool configured to interface with the articulated assembly fixture docking station, the articulated assembly fixture docking station having
a two degree of freedom movement, and
coupling features configured to interchangeably couple each of the plurality of assembly fixtures to the assembly fixture docking station; and

a controller connected to the automated workstation and automated assembly tool, the controller being configured to effect two degree of freedom positioning of the articulated assembly fixture docking station in at least two predetermined joining positions, wherein
the controller effects an interface between the automated assembly tool and at least one of the plurality of assembly fixtures disposed on the articulated assembly fixture docking station in the at least two predetermined joining positions, and
the at least two joining positions effect an ordered assembly of at least a forward bulkhead joint, a forward bulkhead to lipskin joint, a chord member to lipskin joint, an inner barrel to lipskin joint, an aft bulkhead to lipskin joint and an outer barrel to lipskin joint.

7. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to effect positioning of the articulated assembly fixture docking station in a predetermined assembly fixture interchange position between the at least two of the predetermined joining positions such that one of the plurality of assembly fixtures is interchanged with another of the plurality of assembly fixtures.

8. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the automated assembly tool comprises an end effector configured to interface with the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip in opposing directions along a common axis such that the end effector supports the engine nacelle inlet lip and effects formation of at least one joint of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

9. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising mechanical gauging tools movably connected to one of the plurality of assembly fixtures such that the mechanical gauging tools are one of rotated and flipped between a measuring position and a retracted position to obtain mechanically acquired dimensions of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

10. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mechanically acquired dimensions are transferred to another one of the plurality of assembly fixtures to effect assembly of a portion of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip.

11. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of assembly fixtures includes a base having a plurality of arc sections configured in a circumferential arrangement.

12. The aircraft engine inlet assembly apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the common fixture is configured to hold one or more of the lipskin, the forward bulkhead, the outer barrel, the inner barrel, the aft attachment ring, the one or more chord members, the aft bulkhead and the inner angle member at multiple stages of assembly, the common fixture including one or more of docking raisers and clamps that are configured for selective coupling to the at least one assembly fixture.

13. An aircraft engine inlet assembly system for assembling an aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip, the system comprising:
an aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip assembly cell including
a plurality of assembly fixtures configured to hold one or more respective portions of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip, at least one of the plurality of fixtures being a common fixture that is common to more than one assembly step of the aircraft engine nacelle inlet lip;
an automated workstation having an articulated assembly fixture docking station and an automated assembly tool configured to interface with the articulated assembly fixture docking station, the articulated assembly fixture docking station having
a two degree of freedom movement, and
coupling features configured to interchangeably couple each of the plurality of assembly fixtures to the assembly fixture docking station; and

a controller connected to the automated workstation and automated assembly tool, the controller being configured to effect two degree of freedom positioning of the articulated assembly fixture docking station in at least two predetermined joining positions, where
the

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Batt Edward
• Sisco Tanni
• Smith Daniel
• Woolridge Randy
• Antonucci Samuel Edward
• Roedel Craig

Classifications

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B64F5/0009 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic